April 15
Breaking the Conversational Ice
We needed something in the Bistro to break the ice and distract us from the endless continuity of discussing dining room seating and whether we will have a bar or cocktail lounge in the new Refresh dining area once the project is completed.
Luckily, or maybe fortunately, a small earthquake over in New Jersey overtook our area and gave us something new to inject into our dining room discussion. Did you feel it? What did you think it was? Were you frightened? Why did you think it happened?
This was followed by questions about viewing the solar eclipse. Why were we all so interested in it?
Pushed out of the normal intercourse was: Do you think the quality of the coffee could be improved, or how about the seating arrangement when the dining area is completed?
Don’t laugh! These latter kinds of questions are really valuable, not because they will change whatever is planned, but because they themselves have a long life. Why does that make them valuable?
No doubt, we will be able to feast on asking and answering them for at least two or three more years. We need these long-lasting queries like these. Earthquakes and eclipses come and go quickly. In a few days, they will have come and gone. Bistro seating and possible pub questions have a long life and add to the feeling of lengthy continuity, which is an essential element in the life we lead at Kendal.
April 1, 2024
Eating the Skins
When eating potatoes, I, with some long-held, subconscious feeling of superiority, eat both the inside and the skin. I worry about it even though my mother frequently told me that the skin has most of the vitamins. After all, how did she know that? She wasn’t a scientist and never quoted studies on the subject. However, she was a mother! She could tell whether I had a temperature or not by putting her check on my brow. In almost all matters, I took what she had to say as the law. She said it, and so it was. Period!
My feeling of superiority came from having the final word and feeling sorry for the poor, unfortunate person next to me who came up short of having the ultimate in knowledge on this momentarily important issue. I wolfed down the skins, knew I had won the dispute, and moved on to the next course.
One concern always leads to another. How about fish skins? We occasionally get some tasty fish at Kendal, which is white on the flesh side and black on the back. My dinner colleague and I both spent a bit of time scraping off the black stuff, which I guessed to be one of the outside skins.
Since my mother is not around to tell me what to eat and what not to eat, I consulted Healthline on the Internet. It told me, “Some people may avoid fish skin out of fear that it’s unsafe to eat, though this is generally not the case.
Fish skin has been eaten safely throughout history. It’s even a popular snack in many countries and cultures.
As long as fish have been properly cleaned and the outer scales fully removed, the skin is typically safe to eat.”
Two morals emanate from this story.
First, if you think it’s unhealthy, you're probably wrong. Eat it!
Second, it might be a little late in the game for most of you; however, you should have listened to your mother. It’s a good lesson for your children and grandchildren.